Business Development in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries accounts for over $5 billion in licensing deal value per year and much more than that in the value of mergers and acquisitions. Transactions range from licences to patented academic research, to product developments as licences, joint ventures and acquisition of intellectual property rights, and on to collaborations in development and marketing, locally or across the globe. Asset sales, mergers and corporate takeovers are also a part of the business development remit. The scope of the job can be immense, spanning the life-cycle of products from the earliest levels of research to the disposal of residual marketing rights, involving legal regulatory manufacturing, clinical development, sales and marketing and financial aspects. The knowledge and skills required of practitioners must be similarly broad, yet the availability of information for developing a career in business development is sparse. Martin Austin's highly practical guide spans the complete process and is based on his 30 years of experience in the industry and the well-established training programme that he has developed and delivers to pharmaceutical executives from across the world.
About the Author: Martin Austin is Managing Director of TransformRx GmbH which he formed in 2005 to provide business advice to clients regarding investment and business development. He is also a Partner in MarraM Advisors sarl and Chairman of RSA AG. He was previously a Principal in the Paul Capital Partners Royalty Funds a USA based specialist in Secondary Private Equity and Alternative Asset Investments and before that as Head of Business Development for the Pharmaceuticals Division at F.Hoffmann-La Roche. He has had a broad ranging career in the Pharmaceutical industry starting as a Medical Representative in 1977 he progressed through Sales and Marketing roles with GD Searle in the early 80s to become Business Development Manager with Lorex Pharmaceuticals and then became a consultant with Marketing Improvements before leaving to become a founding Director of Machine Intelligence Technologies. Later he took over Business Development for the Dendrite organisation before being appointed Managing Director of MHIG Ltd an international joint venture in Market Research and Consulting prior to joining Roche. After 30 years of experience at all levels in the industry he has a unique background and perspective from which to address this book.